THE GOVERNMENT has accepted recommendations from the pay review body to give NHS staff in England a 3 per cent pay increase after a day of confusion.

An expected Commons statement at lunchtime failed to materialise, but a few hours later, the Department of Health and Social Care issued a release saying a 3 per cent rise will be paid.

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The pay, which will be backdated to April when the increase was due, will be given to staff including nurses, paramedics, consultants, dentists, and salaried GPs.

The rise does not cover doctors or dentists in training.

Sajid Javid, Health and Social Care Secretary, said: “NHS staff are rightly receiving a pay rise this year despite the wider public sector pay pause, in recognition of their extraordinary efforts.

“We asked the independent pay review bodies for their recommendations and I’m pleased to accept them in full, with a 3% pay rise for all staff in scope, from doctors and nurses to paramedics and porters.

“We will back the NHS as we focus our efforts on getting through this pandemic and tackling the backlog of other health problems that has built up. I will continue to do everything I can to support all those in our health service who are working so tirelessly to care for patients.”

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The DHSC said the “average nurse” will receive an additional £1,000 a year, while many porters and cleaners will get £540.

Labour accused the Government of “more chaos and confusion” after Health Minister Helen Whately made no mention of pay during her initial speech to the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Just this morning the Government was branded “shambolic” by unions after what they called a “paltry” 3 per cent NHS pay rise.

Unions lashed out at the increase, accusing minsters of failing to recognise their efforts during the pandemic.

The Government was already under attack for recommending a 1 per cent pay rise, despite the incredible pressure NHS staff have been under.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “it is disappointing that the pay rise does not adequately recognise the extraordinary contribution from doctors.”

Jon Skewes, The Royal College of Midwives executive director for external affairs and on of the NHS Unions chief negotiators, said: “At least the limbo our hardworking members were left in by our shambolic Government has ended.

“We are disappointed that maternity staff in England will not receive a headline increase of 4% like their colleagues in Scotland.”

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Pat Cullen, interim general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “After a shambolic day, comes a shambolic announcement.

“When the Treasury expects inflation to be 3.7%, ministers are knowingly cutting pay for an experienced nurse by over £200 in real-terms.”

This morning she was asked if industrial action can be expected over the pay rise, she told BBC Breakfast: “We will put that to our nurses next week in a onsultative ballot and they will decide”.

“But, as their professional trade union, we will walk alongside them and their decision-making because nurses will do the best thing for patients.

““Whatever action they take, they will make sure their patients don’t suffer as a consequence, the same way as they did in Northern Ireland two years ago when they took industrial action.

“They did that for their patients and for patient safety and patient care, and they will do the same if they need to in any of the other countries, but they won’t do it at a whim, they will make measured and considered decisions, and we will work with them to make those decisions.”

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